우리나라 물류기업의 시기별 해외 진출 현황 및 전략분석

Abstract

This study investigates the overseas expansion of Korean logistics firms, focusing on comprehensive logistics providers and international freight forwarders, by utilizing the Korea Transport Institute’s Certified Excellent Logistics Companies (CELC) database in combination with KOTRA’s outward investment data. The results indicate that Korean firms traditionally concentrated on their overseas operations in Asia, where more than 60 percent of cases were recorded from the 1980s to the 2010s. However, in the 2020s, this dominance declined, with a clear shift toward North America and Europe, largely driven by geopolitical tensions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and emerging regulatory pressures such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). In terms of entry modes, local subsidiaries have remained the most common form overall, but mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and joint ventures (JV) have gained greater importance since the 2010s. These strategies have been employed to internalize transaction costs, secure rare and inimitable resources, and adapt more effectively to host-country institutional environments. The findings suggest that M&A and JV should be understood not merely as entry methods but as organizational strategies that simultaneously reduce risks, develop strategic capabilities, and enhance institutional legitimacy. Theoretically, this study contributes by integrating transaction cost economics, the resource-based view, and institutional theory to explain the evolving internationalization strategies of Korean logistics firms. From a practical perspective, the results highlight the need for Korean logistics firms to enhance global resilience by securing multimodal hubs, advancing green logistics capabilities, and achieving consistency with host-country institutional frameworks.